Out of Nowhere
by Parazession
Summary: Luke is offered comfort and a proposition from an unlikely source. (Complete)
1. Unexpected

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them (though Scott Patterson would be a nice addition to my home)  
  
A/N: I know perfectly well this scenario will never be written into the show. The exact reason I wrote it here.  
  
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Out of Nowhere  
  
Chapter 1 – Unexpected  
  
Surveying the kitchen in the apartment she was sharing Lane was disappointed to find the groceries she had gotten the week before were nearly gone. "Hey guys, when are we going to be able to do some more food shopping?"  
  
Brian responded from where he was sitting on the couch "I've looked at our finances and we're running kind of low. I've asked for some extra shifts but my boss is not big on overtime. What about you, Zach?"  
  
"Dude, I'm tapped. Ever since Al found out one of my roommates works for Luke, he's been giving me short hours." They all nodded at that, everyone knew Al, of Al's House of Pancakes, saw Luke as his biggest competitor.  
  
"Well, I guess I could ask Luke for some extra shifts, but he's been a little off for the last few days, so I don't know if he'll agree." Looking at the clock and realizing it was almost closing time for the diner Lane decided to go talk to Luke now. "Listen guys, I'm going to head over to Luke's and ask him. I should be back in a little while."  
  
As she came up to the dark diner, she realized Luke must have closed earlier. She debated whether or not to use the key he'd given her and decided that since the light was on upstairs he probably wouldn't mind talking to her  
  
As she walked up the stairs to his apartment she could hear stuff being tossed around and what sounded like cursing coming from inside.  
  
"Luke, are you there?" she called out while knocking on the door. She heard a crash and curse and it occurred to her that coming up here might not have been a good idea. Lane started to turn and go. She stopped however when Luke suddenly opened the door.  
  
"Lane?" Luke had been more than a little startled when he heard someone knock on his door and even more so when he recognized Lane's voice. "What are you doing here this late? Is everything okay? Are you hurt?" Listening to the questions rushing out of his mouth, Luke was a little surprised to find he was this worried about Lane but she wasn't normally the type to go to strange men's homes so late at night and that had him concerned.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine Luke really. Listen it sounds like I came at a bad time. Bad timing is normal for me. I should really get that checked out. Why don't I just go? Bye!" Lane was rambling on and on and was horrified that she couldn't seem to make herself stop. Finally cutting herself off she turned to go and let out a little shriek when her arm was grabbed.  
  
Luke was really starting to think something was wrong what with the rambling and the nervousness. Add in the fact that it was late at night, and he was really getting concerned something had happened to her, what if one of those guys she lived with suddenly got it into his head she was fair game! He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. "Lane did something happen? Did one of those guys you live with try something? I swear to God I'll kill him! Which one was it?"  
  
By now Lane was truly regretting coming over, she had no idea what had gotten him so worked up and was a little uncertain how to talk him down. "Luke, nothing happened I swear! I just wanted to talk to you about something but it can wait."  
  
"Nothing happened? Are you sure?" "No, absolutely nothing has happened to me!" Luke, calming down, realized he had been jumping to conclusions and judging by the look on Lane's face she was obviously thinking his mind had jumped somewhere, like off the tracks and into Crazyworld. He also realized he was holding onto her arm still and dropped it as fast as he could.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lane. I've, uh, been having kind of a rough night, I didn't mean to scare you like that."  
  
"Oh, you didn't scare me, really!" She noticed Luke had calmed down considerably. Now that she was able to think clearly and without him looking like some sort of avenging angel she realized something startling.  
  
Luke wasn't wearing his normal flannel shirt. Nor was he wearing his normal jeans. He was wearing his normal backwards cap, however. But the cut off sweat pants and tank top were new to her. Definitely new. She couldn't say she had ever seen his legs before or his shoulders or that much of his chest really. She knew she was staring and at his body no less but was having a hard time making herself stop.  
  
She usually tried to cut off any thoughts she might have about adult men knowing that it was probably pointless fantasy anyway. But every once in a while she would notice a handsome man and wonder what it would be like to be with someone like that. Ever since she had found out about Paris dating the professor the thoughts had become rampant. In her more honest moments she could admit to herself that when she fantasized it was usually about men around Luke's age, and in her completely honest moments she could admit that she had in fact fantasized about Luke. Not so surprising since he was the only single man she was ever really around.  
  
Lane realized with a start that she had been staring at Luke for a minute or two now and he seemed to be getting a little uncomfortable with her scrutiny. She hoped he hadn't noticed her giving him the once over.  
  
Meanwhile, Luke had noticed what Lane was looking at and he was more than a little uncomfortable with the fact that her eyes seemed to have landed permanently at waist level. The way she was staring he wondered if at some point he had lost the cut offs. He was interested to note that she seemed to be having trouble looking him in the face and then instantly criticized himself for thinking any sort of indecent thought about Lane. She was making it difficult though, no woman had looked at him like that since he and Nicole had started dating. Thinking about Nicole reminded him of what he had been doing before Lane showed up.  
  
"Sorry I'm not dressed, I was rearranging some furniture around and thinking about some stuff and well it's late but if you want to talk we can or tomorrow would be fine." The fact that her eyes had shifted back to his face hadn't really given him any relief since he could now see her face and could notice that her breathing was a little unsteady. Luke decided he was probably turning into a perverted old man thinking about a kid like that and that he really need to get her away from him.  
  
"Lane, you should probably go. I'm not the best company right now."  
  
Lane was surprised by the abrupt change in conversation. She really focused on his face and was worried to find he looked like he'd been through the wringer. Instantly, concern for him pushed past all of her other thoughts.  
  
"Luke, is something wrong?" She asked knowing he probably wouldn't answer.  
  
Hearing the concern in her voice, he looked down at her and noticed, not for the first time, how nice she always looked. Thoughts like that aren't going to help anything, Luke finally responded, "I'm alright, I just need to finish some stuff before work tomorrow. Why don't you go on home and we'll talk when you come in?"  
  
"Luke, I'm a little worried about you. You haven't been yourself in a few days and now you're moving furniture around in here? I thought you had moved in with your wife. I realize you probably want to talk to someone else about this but I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong. I mean, you've been really good to me since I had to move out of my house please let me return the favor."  
  
Luke moved closer to her, stopping within reach of her. "You don't owe me anything. I've known you since you were a kid, hell you still are a kid. I'll always want to look out for you. And my problems aren't something I should discuss with you."  
  
Knowing he was about to ask her to go and truly wanting to help him, she decided to be a little more daring. She took one of his hands and held it between both of hers. The sudden move had the desired effect and got Luke's attention.  
  
"I want to help. I'm not a little kid anymore. Maybe I haven't been through as much as you have but if it's about relationship problems then I can definitely relate."  
  
Luke wanted to take his hand back, he didn't feel comfortable having what amounted to intimate contact with Lane, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings, it had obviously taken some effort on her part to reach out and touch him. Thinking about her hesitation he wondered why people were always so leery of touching him. He didn't think he was that unapproachable, sure he didn't have the friendliest personality but he didn't think he was scary by any means. Suddenly her hesitation reminded him of how Nicole had always avoided touching him outside of the bedroom and he felt the anger building up again. She certainly hadn't seemed to mind touching Sockman on the way upstairs to their bedroom.  
  
"I appreciate your wanting to help, but it's not appropriate. Just do me a favor and remember the next time you're in a relationship with a guy and you want to break it off, don't do it by sleeping with someone else." With that Luke removed his hand from between hers and moved back farther into his apartment toward the kitchen. Lane followed determinedly behind him intent on getting some answers.  
  
"Is that what happened?"  
  
"Let it go, Lane."  
  
"Luke, if Nicole cheated on you then she's obviously a moron! How could she do that to you?"  
  
"That's what I wanted to know. Thanks for the moron bit, though." Luke couldn't help but chuckle when he saw how angry she seemed to be on his behalf. He did like knowing she was worried about him. Lane's worrying didn't seem to be the same as Lorelai's worrying. Lorelai did care about him but he could always tell it unnerved a bit whenever he wasn't the steady rock he was supposed to be for her. Lane though, just looked genuinely concerned and he could appreciate the difference even if he didn't like the fact that he was comparing Lane to Lorelai. He decided to try and convince her he was alright, he really needed some space from her before she noticed something strange was going on with him. "Look, things were strained between Nicole and I, we both let it last to long. That's all there was to it, now I don't want to talk about this anymore."  
  
Lane nodded her head willing to let him be for the moment. She knew it was going to take some drastic action to get him to open up to her so she decided to wait and let him calm down a bit before she tried talking about it.  
  
"Lane, you never did answer my question about why you're here so late."  
  
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	2. Interrogation

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming. I know this is an unlikely pairing but I think the two could have a better connection than what the show portrays. It also looks like this story is going to take a few chapters to get to the end. The two of them seem the type to resist change and I foresee some deep discussions taking place before anything happens. I also don't think Nicole's as bad as or Lorelai's as self- centered as some fics have them but for the purposes of this story Nicole is definitely the bad person and Lorelai isn't in the picture either.  
  
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Out of Nowhere  
  
Chapter 2 – Interrogation  
  
"Oh, I wanted to ask you if I could work a few more shifts. The guys and I are hitting a tight spot right now and they're not having much success getting extra time at their jobs."  
  
Lane was hoping he wouldn't use this to change the subject. Any previous reasons she may have had for coming over had been replaced by her concern for Luke. His apartment looked like a war zone. Clothes had been taken out of boxes and piled up on the couch. And it did look like he had been rearranging furniture, everything looked like it was out of place.  
  
She wondered if it was really over between he and Nicole. She certainly hoped it was. She could tell he hadn't been happy for a long time. Ever since he had gotten involved with Nicole to be specific. At first it seemed like he was finally getting over Lorelai and moving on and he seemed to have found someone who was good to him. But if Nicole had cheated on him... that was one of those things you just don't do to someone. Luke was a great guy, he had always been there for her and it bothered her a great deal to see him so upset. Lane heard a noise from the kitchen and turned to see what Luke was doing.  
  
Luke was busy trying to figure out how he was going to get Lane out of his apartment. It was more than a little unusual for him to have a teenaged girl in his apartment at, well, anytime of the day but pretty much never at 11:00 pm. His nervousness was rising as it usually did when he faced something strange and having Lane sitting on his couch and insisting on talking about his relationships was definitely out of the ordinary. He decided to do what he usually did to calm down and fixed something for them to drink.  
  
"Here, you like green tea right?" Luke handed one of the mugs he was carrying to Lane. Hopefully, she'd drink it, they'd make a little small talk, he'd steer her away from the subject of Nicole and she'd go.  
  
"Thanks." Lane took the tea both surprised and pleased that he had noticed what she drank. She had thought he only reserved that kind of attention to Rory or Lorelai. "I'm surprised you remembered that."  
  
"Well, I've known you a long time. And aside from the junk food addiction the Gilmore's have installed in you, you actually have similar tastes to mine." Luke was hoping she would drop it at that. He didn't want to admit to himself much less her that he had been watching her pretty closely ever since she had come to work for him.  
  
She had changed since her mother had made her move out. Less happy and a little more adult than she had been before. He no longer saw her bouncing around with more energy than a hamster on speed like she used to with all of her plans and schemes to get around the strict rules of her mother. He was hoping she would work things out with her mother but he was also proud of her in a way for showing that she could handle life on her own. Her mother had had good intentions but Luke had always wondered if all of those rules would just break her rather than make her a stronger person. He was glad to see she was coming out on the good side of things.  
  
Lane laughed a little at the junk food comment pleased as well to have something in common with him, "There's no way I could keep up with them but I have given it my best shot." She decided to try bringing up his marriage hoping he wouldn't get upset at her prying, "Now stop trying to change the subject. I'm worried about you. What happened with you and Nicole?"  
  
Luke sighed and sat down in an armchair. Apparently his tea ploy hadn't worked. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk about this with her but maybe it would do him some good to talk to someone who was outside of the whole mess. Lorelai was too close to the center of things and Rory, well in his heart she was his daughter, no way was he discussing his wife's adultery with her. Lane though, she had the potential to be a friendly ear with no ulterior motives.  
  
"Promise me you won't repeat any of this to Rory?"  
  
Lane didn't mind his request it was no secret she and Rory told each other pretty much everything. But she wanted to reassure him that she could be trusted. "Of course not, Luke I would never tell anyone about you private life. I know how much you dislike being a source of gossip. I just want to be a friendly shoulder that's all."  
  
"Well, you might not have noticed but Nicole and I haven't been getting along too well recently and the other day I found out she was having an affair with some guy. I don't know how long it's been going on and frankly I really don't want to know." Luke stopped, he wasn't used to just bearing his soul to anyone. But Lane seemed to be interested and all he could see on her face was concern for which he was glad. He didn't think he'd be able to handle seeing pity on her face.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Luke. I know that doesn't really help, but I hope you know that it's her loss. You're a great guy and she's a fool to give you up." Lane was having a hard time keeping the anger she felt on Luke's behalf hidden behind her mask of concern. That little bitch, how could she hurt him, Lane was trying to get control of herself. He's the best guy in the world; I would jump at the chance to be with someone like him. Man, if I were a few years older I would definitely have wanted to get his attention.  
  
Luke settled further back into his chair. He was thankful that she seemed to be satisfied with his explanation. Not that the whole affair thing hadn't been the main source of his frustration the last few days but he wasn't sure he was up to explaining all of the complexities of his and Nicole's relationship and Lorelai's part in the whole mess.  
  
"That bitch!" Luke wasn't sure who was surprised at the sudden exclamation, him or Lane who had clapped a hand over mouth seemingly horrified by what she had just said.  
  
He couldn't help the laugh that suddenly rumbled out. He'd had that exact same thought when he'd first realized what was going on.  
  
Lane was trying to come up with someway to apologize. After all, Nicole was still Luke's wife and she didn't know any man who appreciated having his wife called an obscene name. Justified or not.  
  
"Luke, I'm so sorry. I had no right to call her that. It... the thought of what she did just made me so angry."  
  
"It's alright Lane I pretty much had the same reaction. After all, it looks like we'll be getting that divorce now and I'm actually pretty relieved the whole mess is going to be over."  
  
Lane suddenly stood up from the couch she had been sitting on and took the mug of now cold tea from his hands and took it into the kitchen. She really wanted something to do with her hands while she tried to calm down from her embarrassment over what she had said. "Still I shouldn't have said that. Here I've been telling you that you can tell me anything and right when you do I explode."  
  
"It's alright Lane, really. I'm, uh, actually kind of glad you got angry. Makes me think I was right in my reaction." Luke walked over to where Lane was washing the mugs over and over again. "Why don't you let me have those?"  
  
Lane let the mugs go and watched while he set them in the strainer to dry. "Are you going to be alright? With the divorce and everything I mean."  
  
"I think so." Luke turned his head to look at her and decided to be honest, she'd been a good friend so far maybe he could rely on her a bit more. "To be honest, Nicole and I should never have gotten married to begin with. What's that old joke, 'We took a perfectly good relationship and ruined it by getting married'."  
  
Lane was glad he was continuing to talk to her. She had been worried he wouldn't want to after her outburst. Though it was a little strange to her, having an adult conversation with the guy who used to sneak her hot chocolate when her mother wasn't paying attention when she was a child. Things had definitely changed in her world and his too apparently if he was willing to be this open with her. Once again she took notice of how he looked with his hands braced against the kitchen counter looking out through the blinds above the sink. He looks good, was her first thought followed quickly by, don't think about that concentrate on what he needs and that's a friend.  
  
Hoping to hide the blush that had risen in her face she turned to go back into the living room. She tried teasing him a little. "So, I take it that means the hurricane that went through here was actually you just moving back in?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, sorry about the mess. Not too many people come by here this late. Or ever for that matter." Now it was Luke's turn to be embarrassed by what he'd said. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. Though it had always bothered him a little that people didn't really seem to want to just visit him. Usually they had something they wanted him to do or fix. It seemed he was just the ever-present fix-it guy that no one really paid attention to until they needed him. It struck him then just how lonely he was. Life with Nicole in it may not have been ideal but at least someone had sought him out and wanted to spend time with him that didn't involve broken windows or town festivals.  
  
Lane didn't know how to respond to Luke's statement. The way he had ducked his head and was rubbing his neck were sure signs he was a little embarrassed. She hoped it wasn't because he didn't think she would understand.  
  
"Luke, I want you to know that you always have a friend in me if you need one. I know what it's like to be seen as the third wheel so to speak. But everyone needs friends and people to focus on them for themselves and not just as the person who's always on the sidelines. You've been so great helping me with everything and I've felt a little like I was taking advantage of your good nature. So I'm just glad to be whatever kind of friend you need for as long as you need it." Lane had considered telling him he was like a father to her but quickly dismissed the idea.  
  
He hadn't really been a father figure though he had always been there for her when she was young. So many years of listening to her mother tell her that all men were after one thing and that was it had left her with the feeling that all men, Luke included, were not to be trusted. But over the years, realizing that her mother did in fact approve and to some degree even like Luke she had always thought in the back of her mind that he must be special in some way, a better man than most maybe and she had shied away from seeing him as a father and more like the kind of man she would like to be involved with someday.  
  
"Lane I appreciate your friendship, really. And you're right it is important for people to have someone to turn to. And you've never taken advantage of me. I have and will always want to help you anyway I can." Unaccustomed to such long speeches about his feelings like that, Luke was relieved to see Lane smile at him. He wondered if she didn't need the same thing, a friend who was focused on her and wanted to help with her problems. At any rate asking about her would take the interrogation off of him.  
  
"Listen, Lane if there's anything you need to talk about you know you can come tell me right?" Lane nodded her head at that. It would be nice to talk to someone who didn't know all of the details of her life like Rory did. Maybe an outside opinion of what was going on with her mother was what she needed.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind listening to me ramble on and on I guess I would like to talk to someone."  
  
"Ramble away. You've got 'til the diner opens to get it all off of your chest."  
  
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Chapter 3 Coming Soon 


	3. Turnabout

A/N: Thank you so much for the great reviews. For those of you who've said they like this version of Luke better than what he's like in some other fics I want to thank you for reading that much into it. The idea of Luke actually approaching anyone under 30 is probably so far out of character it isn't funny, so I've tried to make Lane more aggressive than Luke and I'm glad so many of you can see that. Please, keep the reviews coming.  
  
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Out of Nowhere Chapter 3 – Turnabout  
  
Lane settled into the couch wondering where to start. The argument she'd had with her mother still weighed heavily on her mind. She hadn't yet been able to decide who was right her or her mother.  
  
"Would you give me your honest opinion on something?"  
  
Luke had gone back to sitting in the armchair waiting for her to speak. "Yeah, sure."  
  
"Am I a bad daughter?" Lane looked down at her hands. She couldn't face him, what if he said she was? His opinion was important to her more so than most of the people she knew. Not just because he was her boss but also because she respected him. He lived his life the way he wanted to. He never made excuses or kept quiet when he thought he should speak. She wanted to be like that and wondered if she could be that strong.  
  
"Nothing about you is bad. You're smart, reliable, a hard-worker, and I have to tell you if your customer service skills get any better I'm going to have to fire you." Luke hoped she would leave it at that. His experiences with Jess had made him unsure about his judgment skills.  
  
"Thanks, but that's not what I asked." She really wanted to know if that was how people saw her.  
  
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "I think you did what you needed to. Sometimes there aren't any rights or wrongs just what you know you need to do." Maybe he should start listening to his own advice. His relationship with Nicole was over and he had been a coward when it came to the relationship he wanted with Lorelai. He knew what he needed to do when it came to her. It was just a matter of getting a little backbone.  
  
Lane wasn't sure she wanted to talk about this anymore. It was a painful subject; her mother had been her life. Everything she did revolved around whether it was something she could tell her or not. One day she hoped she could explain all of it to her mother. Luke was right; sometimes it was what you needed to do that mattered. And right now what she needed to do was start making her own decisions ones that really mattered.  
  
She had been spent her teenage years wanting a relationship with someone and meeting Dave had been wonderful. He had fulfilled her expectations, his willingness to please her and his dedication to hiding their relationship from her mother. But now he was gone. They had only had small moments of time together and her biggest regret between them was that he would not be the one to be her first. She had loved and wanted Dave. She wasn't sure she'd find another like him anytime soon and she no longer wanted to wait for someone to come to her. The only other person she trusted as much as Dave was Luke. Now Dave was out of her reach. And one day soon she hoped Luke would be in a committed relationship with the woman he wanted.  
  
It was time to ask for what she needed. Just this once. Right or wrong.  
  
Giving herself a pep talk, she studied Luke who had stretched out his legs in front of his chair. 'Everything will be fine you just need to approach him slowly. Let him get used to the idea. Him! What about me? I haven't gotten used to the idea. How am I supposed to seduce a guy who's twenty years older than me? With my sparkling wit?! Calm down! You are a drummer in a rock band and you share a one-bedroom apartment with two guys, you are no longer mousy straight-laced mother-would-have-her-be-a-nun Lane Kim. You can do this.' Lane rubbed her hands against her knees. 'But what if he says no? How could I ever look him in the eye much less work for him again?' She straightened a little and focused her attention on Luke's face. 'You'll just have to be convincing. How hard could it be? Isn't it every middle-aged guys fantasy to be lusted after by eighteen-year-old girls? I mean, come on. The guy just found out his wife's having an affair. Talk about blow to the ego. I shouldn't be willing to take advantage of his vulnerability but...what the hell. This is what I need and if he truly doesn't want it then I can live with that. Mortified for the rest of my life. But I can live with it.'  
  
Now to talk him into it.  
  
"Thanks for letting me to talk to you. I'm sorry for interrupting your night though. It's just...I've been feeling a little down lately." Luke looked over at her noticing that her hands were twisting together nervously. "No problem, you're always welcome here. I hope you know that." Maybe she was trying to ease her way into leaving, he thought surprisingly disappointed. It had been nice to just sit and talk with someone. "If you need anything you can always come to me."  
  
Lane smiled at him, she certainly hoped that offer was still going to be open in a few minutes. "I appreciate that but I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She looked down and then wrapped her arms around her middle.  
  
He was starting to get concerned; she had withdrawn in the last few minutes. He hoped she hadn't noticed the way he'd been looking at her the last little while. They had never spent this much time alone together and it was getting harder and harder for him to keep his mind from straying. She was a lovely young woman, he thought it was safe to admit that. As long as he didn't do anything about it. She was too young for him and...what the hell was he talking about. There wasn't a chance in hell she'd be interested in him anyway. The first move he made in her direction and not only would she probably call the cops but then she'd have her mother come and stone him. On the other hand it would give her a good reason to talk to Mrs. Kim.  
  
He moved over and sat down on the couch next to her, their knees almost touching. "You're not going to make me uncomfortable, if there's something you need all you have to do is ask."  
  
Lane tried to keep the smile off of her face. The lost and sad look had worked perfectly. She felt a little twinge of guilt for manipulating him like this but there was also a little thrill from knowing she could. 'Well, now that he's here next to me it's time to feel him up – out! I meant out. Save the up for later.' She started to giggle and quickly put her hand over her mouth. Luke mistook her movement and thought she was going to cry. 'How many woman are going to cry on my shoulder this month?' He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him. "Are you alright?"  
  
'Luke's arm is around me! Okay, okay, calm down. He thinks something's wrong. I can use that.' She leaned in further towards him and put one arm around him as if to cling to him. "Lane? Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Luke felt her shake her head a little. "You'll think it's dumb." Lane waited for him to respond. "I promise no matter what it is, I won't think it's dumb." Perfect! "Well, I, uh, I've been kinda thinking about this guy and I want something from him but I don't know how to ask for it."  
  
"Well, what is it you want from him?" He really hoped it was something innocent, he really didn't want to give relationship advice. In fact, he was probably the last person on Earth who should give relationship advice.  
  
"I don't know how to say it." Luke hugged her closer to him. "Well, don't worry if you don't want to tell me I'll understand." Please don't tell me!  
  
"Um, this is a little embarrassing. But I'm, sort of, uh, attracted to this guy but I don't know how to tell him." Lane was glad her face was hidden she was sure it was glowing bright red. She couldn't believe she'd gotten this far. Maybe she was stronger than she had thought.  
  
Luke was feeling very uncomfortable about this conversation. He wanted to help her, which was what he usually did for everyone, help them and fix things. But this, this was out of his league. Aside from her being a her which pretty much left him in the dark to begin with he was feeling rather distracted by the feel of her pressed up next to him. And if that hand she'd left on his side, which had slipped a little low, went any further she was going to discover something that would definitely embarrass them both.  
  
"If you really want to get this guy's attention then you should just tell him upfront. Guys respond to that much better than anything else." There he'd gotten that out without stumbling or stuttering once, maybe she'd be satisfied with that and would move away from him.  
  
"Well if that's what you think would work then here goes nothing." Lane took a deep breath; she didn't think she'd ever been this nervous in her life. She made herself look him in the eye. "Luke, I want you to sleep with me."  
  
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	4. Capitulation

A/N: Again thanks for the great reviews. This chapter came out a little sooner than I was planning but I was on a roll so I figured why stop with one chapter? I certainly hope this part sounds at least a little realistic. As always, all reviews are appreciated.  
  
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Chapter 4 – Capitulation  
  
"Huh?" Luke was positive he hadn't heard that right.  
  
"I want you to sleep with me." He was going to make this difficult she knew it. Well, she'd come this far. No way was she giving up without a fight.  
  
'Oh hell. I heard her right. Where the hell did that come from? Stay calm! She's upset and she's not thinking clearly.' His hands were fidgeting badly and he really needed to move. He stood up dislodging the arm she had still had around him, and then paced over to the window and back trying to think of what to say.  
  
Lane watched him start to pace, 'I think I've got my work cut out for me. Maybe now would be a good time to put those saleswoman skills I'm supposed to have to good use. Let's see, the first rule in sales: Attractive Display.'  
  
She waited until his back was turned and removed the button up sweater she had been wearing to reveal a thin black tank camisole. She knew it had worked when he turned and tripped over his feet.  
  
'What the hell is she doing? Alright, just tell her this won't work and gently rush her out the door.' Luke cleared his throat, after catching a glimpse of her sitting so innocently on the couch his mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Lane, I'm sure you think this is a good idea right now but tomorrow when you've had a chance to think about it you're going to regret it. I mean I'm way too old for you and what would Rory think or your mother for that matter? Why don't you put your, uh, sweater back on and we'll just talk about this for a minute." There he'd gotten that out reasonable well with only a little rambling. He really hoped she'd put that sweater back on. He was fighting a losing battle to focus on her face.  
  
'Second Rule: Approach the Customer in an Inviting Manner.' She stood up from the couch and saw his eyes flicker to her waist where a strip of skin was showing between her tank and her pants. 'Thank God for low-rise jeans.' "I know you think I'm just reacting to stress or something but I'm sure of what I want. Just let me explain how I got this idea and if you still want to say no, then I'll leave and we can just forget this whole conversation ever happened." Pleased that her voice had remained steady she allowed herself to smile at his panicked look. "Come here and sit down. You're a little too tall for me to talk to like this."  
  
He wasn't sure when she'd gotten control of the situation. He was pretty sure he was the one who was supposed to calling the shots here but he'd lost track of what was going on when she'd stood up from the couch. That little strip of skin seemed to have permanently captured his attention. 'Stop it. You are the adult here. It's your responsibility to let her down gently and explain to her why this is not going to happen.' Deciding that it would be easier to talk to her while sitting down he moved over to the chair and sat down.  
  
"Listen, you've..." Lane put her hand over his mouth pleased to see his eyes widen a little at her forward move. "No, I would like for you to listen to me for a minute okay?"  
  
Luke nodded his head. Best to let her get it out of her system then maybe she'd feel like she still had some control over things and it wouldn't hurt her so badly when he told her no. 'And you are going to tell her no, aren't you? Yes of course I'm going to tell her no. I'm just saying opportunity like this doesn't come everyday, maybe you should think about it for a minute. No there is nothing to think about; she's eighteen and I'm...older than that. Much older. End of discussion.' This arguing in his head was proving to be very distracting. He'd apparently blocked out her moving to kneel in front of him and if ever there was something he shouldn't block out it was a young woman kneeling in front of him.  
  
"Luke, please look at me." She waited until his eyes focused on hers. 'Third Rule: Describe and Present Truthfully. Here goes nothing.'  
  
"I don't want to marry you." His eyes flickered at that, confusion starting to replace the panic. "I haven't been carrying some torch for you for years. I'm not in love with you and I don't want a commitment from you." That should keep him guessing. "What I do want is to make a choice for myself that doesn't involve reacting to something or is out of a desire to please someone else. I want to decide when and where one of the most important moments of my life happens. I want it to be on my terms and with the man I trust the most in the world."  
  
Luke was still feeling a lot of confusion; her initial statements had thrown him for a loop. Women usually weren't so straightforward with him. He waited for the other shoe to drop.  
  
"Lane, I don't want to hurt you feelings, I'm sure you think you've thought this through but this is a big decision in your life. You should be having this conversation with someone your age that you do want to have a relationship with." He stopped when she took his hands in hers.  
  
"That's just it. I wouldn't be having this conversation with someone my age. I'd be too busy trying to figure out if he was serious about me or if I could trust him or if he just wanted to get me in the sack." Luke winced at that unused to hearing talk so...frankly. "But you're different. You're a good man. If you weren't you wouldn't be protesting so much. I've always respected you, that isn't going to change, whether you tell me yes or no. Just think about this, please. I want this to happen with you because you're an attractive, honest, decent man that I trust and desire. No other ulterior motives I swear."  
  
She didn't think she'd ever been this nervous in her life. But she also felt free in a way. This was what she had needed to do. Take control of her life. Admittedly this was an unorthodox way to do it, but still.  
  
Luke wasn't sure when the conversation had gone from him saying a flat-out 'no' to him actually considering her reasons. 'She's an eighteen-year-old girl, for God's sake. Keep reminding yourself of that. How could you be thinking about this?' Up until a couple of hours ago he would have sworn he wasn't some dirty old man eyeing up young women. But here he was. Looking at her face, desperately trying to keep from looking any lower. He knew as soon as he did he would cross that line separating protective adult from potential lover and he really didn't think he was ready for that line to disappear.  
  
He knew he needed to say something. But he didn't know what. He tended to screw things up with women when he tried to talk to them. Just look at Nicole, he'd known there were problems but he hadn't known what to say so they had just ended up arguing. And Lorelai, my God, the almost conversations he'd had with her numbered in the thousands. Too bad none of them ever took place outside of his head. Fully aware he was going to mangle this up he knew he had to try. "As flattered as I am that you think I'm good enough for you, I don't think this is such a good idea. I don't think I'm the one you really want for this."  
  
'Well that wasn't too bad was it?' Luke was pretty pleased with that statement nothing too bad there and Lane appeared to be handling it well too. Although she seemed a little surprised and maybe confused about something.  
  
'Good enough for me? What kind of inferiority complex am I dealing with here, anyway? Just what have those women he's been involved with done to him?' She was a little concerned about him. 'Hadn't anyone ever told him they'd be the lucky one to have him and not the other way around?'  
  
His statement had the opposite effect of what he'd hoped for. She was more determined now plus she had additional reasons for wanting this with him. 'He doesn't know what he's up against. I'll just have to try my best to make sure he knows he's valuable.' She smiled to herself. 'Even if it takes all night.'  
  
She wasn't getting her sweater or leaving. In fact it looked she had just decided on something and he was pretty sure it wasn't in favor of his argument. She just smiled at him and he went into a sudden sweat. That smile had a wealth of meaning behind it. He was in trouble.  
  
"I know this is coming out of nowhere but my reasons still stand. I may not be the most attractive woman in the world..." It was his turn to interrupt. "You're beautiful, Lane. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently." He was defensive on her behalf and she was thrilled. "Thank you Luke that means a lot to me. The truth is guys don't pay much attention to me. And when they do I get tongue-tied and nervous and end up looking like the village idiot. I don't want to have to go through this with someone I'm nervous around. You make me feel safe and comfortable. All I want is one night. Maybe some good will come out of it for both of us."  
  
He could almost feel his defenses crumbling. She looked so sweet staring up at him with her hands over top of his. She also looked damned good kneeling at his feet and his ego among other things was starting to get out of hand. What guy didn't have this scenario as one of their main fantasies? He was on the edge of giving in. She was right; one night with someone he was comfortable with certainly beat countless dates trying to figure out the right approach to another woman. And who knows maybe some good would come out of it if they were both determined enough.  
  
"If you want to stop at anytime just say so, alright?" Lane was stunned. She'd been sure it hadn't worked that he was going to say no. The mixture of relief and excitement pouring through her almost made her dizzy. She smiled at him and started to move closer to him when he stopped her. "Tell me you understand. I don't want there to be any confusion about this. I do anything you don't like anything at all and you tell me. Understood?" He was stunned himself he hadn't realized he'd made his decision but it was too late to back out of it now. Not unless she wanted to.  
  
"I understand perfectly. Now, I would really appreciate it if you would let go of my hands so I can take that shirt of yours off. It's been driving me insane."  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Chapter 5 Coming Soon 


	5. Immersion

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I hit the Great Wall of China of writer's block. To make up for it I'm posting this chapter and the last one at the same time. This chapter may be a little wordy but hey that's me. Also, this chapter contains explicit material so be warned. You could skip to Chapter 6 and the flow will only be a little interrupted but I'm sure you could fill in the gaps easily enough.  
  
Thanks again for all the reviews. Please, keep them coming.  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Out of Nowhere  
  
Chapter 5 – Immersion  
  
"Whoa, hold on. Why don't we take this a little slow?" Luke wanted to be absolutely sure Lane knew what she was doing. He didn't want this to turn into something she regretted.  
  
She knew what he was doing, it was sweet and thoughtful and very much him, but for her the time for sweet and thoughtful was gone. She didn't want this to be a slow build but a wild rush. "I don't want slow. I've had slow; all my life has been slow. Planning, strategizing, avoiding, and dodging. Keeping everything I did a secret took time and patience and thought. I want now and fast and I don't want to think about anything. For the last time, I want this and I want it with you." She took her glasses off leaning back to set them on the table behind them knowing he was getting an eyeful of her shirt stretching across her chest. She was going to have to do something drastic to lighten things up. Fighting a giggle she got it out, "Come to the dark side, Luke."  
  
She could see a smile starting on his face. He shook his head not believing she would make a Star Wars reference now of all times. "You've definitely spent too much time with the Gilmore's."  
  
He looked at her, wishing he could be sure. She looked back at him, not ducking her gaze or blushing or fidgeting or any of the hundred twitches she'd always thought she'd have at this moment.  
  
'She looks happy. It's been a long time since a woman's looked at me like that. Like I was everything she wanted. Please don't let me disappoint her.' She was still kneeling in front of him. He leaned forward and placed his hands on her upper arms and pulled her upwards, bringing her face closer to his. She closed the distance between them giving a gentle kiss that shook him more than he wanted to admit. His eyes were open and watching as hers slid shut and she leaned in again. 'She doesn't want slow.' He reminded himself and moved forward.  
  
He kissed her this time, running his tongue along her lower lip, nudging her into opening her mouth. She sighed and leaned farther into him letting him explore. Suddenly she moved aggressively against him, gripping his knees with her hands and pressing further against him. He slid his hands up to her shoulders where the thin straps of her top let him feel her skin and pulled her into him, deepening the kiss until they broke apart, both of them breathing heavily.  
  
Luke was careful to be gentle with his hands as they slid over her shoulders. Nicole had mentioned more than a few times that his hands were rough and would he please be a little gentler when he touched her. He didn't want Lane to have the same reaction. He slid the straps down her arms a little, hoping he wasn't rushing her.  
  
She was going to end up crazy from this she just knew it. His hands felt better than she had imagined. All those years of carpentry and cooking had left thick calluses that scratched wonderfully and she wished he would press a little harder. She'd never felt anything like this before and was glad once again that it was him she was with.  
  
"Tell me if I'm too rough with you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He wanted to make sure she didn't regret anything and was determined to make this a good experience for her.  
  
She nodded her head waiting for his next move. She felt his hands slide down to catch hers and gently pull her up. He stood with her and wrapped his arms around her. Leaning in to kiss her again he started moving towards the bed. She felt the mattress hit the back of her knees and sat down bringing him with her. She reached up and knocked his hat grinning at him as she did. "I've wanted to do that for years."  
  
He smiled back at her relieved to see she was enjoying things so far. And she was enjoying this very much. She couldn't remember ever being the focus of this much attention. She and Dave had always had to keep part of themselves focused on not being caught. But now she had someone with her who was completely focused on her and she was planning on taking advantage of that. With that in mind she moved closer and slipped her hands under the bottom of his tank while leaning in closer to kiss him again.  
  
He could tell she was really enjoying the kisses. For someone with so little experience she was a natural. He could feel her pushing the hem of his shirt up and reached to pull it off completely. Her gaze dropped to his chest and he could tell she wanted to touch him. "Anything you want is fine."  
  
She was delighted to hear him give free reign. The urge to touch him had been growing stronger as the night wore on. She ran her hands over his chest enjoying the feel of the light hair, following it down to his stomach. She felt him shudder when her hands rubbed against his flat stomach and she looked up to see he had closed his eyes. Knowing he liked her touch gave her a little more confidence and she remembered her plan to make him feel more confident about himself. So far he had been calling the shots. It was time for her take a more proactive role. She may not know exactly what she should do but she was positive she could wing it.  
  
In a desire to feel him pressed against her she moved to straddle his lap. The movement startled him a little but he was quickly getting used to Lane's aggressiveness. To be honest it was turning him on a great deal, having someone so obviously desire him was quite a rush. One he hadn't experienced in quite a while. He was still feeling a little nervous about doing this with her but it was quickly being replaced with an intense desire for her.  
  
Lane took advantage of his momentary distraction to remove her tank and blushed when his eyes dropped to her breasts. He moved his hands from her back and slid them over her watching for any signs that she wanted to stop.  
  
She started to speak, "I know I'm not very big." She knew she wasn't anything spectacular to look at.  
  
"You're perfect Lane." He was quick to reassure her, he didn't want her thinking for an instant that anything about her was undesirable. He'd had enough women tell him something about him wasn't up to their standards. His rough hands, stubble, and big body had made more than one woman tell him making love to him was like making love to a big dog. Lane didn't seem to mind any of that, though. In fact she seemed pretty content just touching him. That had never happened before.  
  
He caught her mouth again as he ran his hands gently over her breasts trying to let her get comfortable with the feel of a man's hands on her. She knew he was being overly gentle with her and was determined to spice things up a bit. She broke away from the kiss and smiled at him. Tilting her head to the side she distracted him by running her hands across his stomach then darted forward and bit him none too gently on the side of his neck.  
  
The bite and the accompanying surge of lust took him by surprise. He hadn't known his neck was that sensitive. He rewarded her efforts by pulling her hips against his tightly. She was thrilled with the feel of him against her; it felt like she'd been waiting for this forever. He realized she was trying to show she was ready and decided to speed things up a bit. His hands moved to the waistband of her jeans, feeling the shiver that went through her as he undid the button and zipper giving him enough room to slide his hands into the back. Using her hips to guide her he ground his arousal into her, feeling more than a little smug as he watched her head fall back and heard her moan.  
  
All she could think was how good he felt against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck; bringing her head forward she gently bit into his neck again. He could feel the shivers going up his spine and suddenly couldn't wait anymore. He stood keeping his hands on her hips. She kept her arms around his neck as long as she could reluctantly letting go when he became too tall for her to reach.  
  
He wasn't going to ask her if she was sure again. She'd answered that question several times over by now. Instead he reached for the waistband of her jeans. He caught her eyes making sure she was focused on his face while he pushed both her jeans and panties down to the floor snagging her socks at the same time and helped her step out of her clothes after he removed her shoes.  
  
She blushed madly knowing he was seeing more of her than anyone else since she was a child. He could tell she was nervous about his reaction and grinned at her before saying, "Lane, you may be a little too much for an old man's heart to handle." She laughed and relaxed at that knowing he was trying to tell her he approved. And he did approve, he couldn't remember seeing anyone as lovely as her, it was more than just her figure that he admired. He envied her some the confidence that let her stand before him so openly. He wished he was half that at ease with himself.  
  
He ran his hands up her remembering to be gentle with his hands until he stood in front of her again. She took one of his hands in hers and kissed the palm eying it thoughtfully. "You know, I've imagined what your hands feel like many times."  
  
She watched his eyes darken a little. "I'm sorry. I know they're too rough. I'll try to be more gentle with them." She was surprised by his answer. She couldn't imagine anyone not liking the feel of his hands. To her they showed how strong he was and the scratch of them over her skin had been giving her chills. "I love your hands." She could tell he didn't believe her and realized she was going to have to reassure him. "No, really, they feel wonderful. I've imagined them before and they were always like this. Tough and strong. You could touch me for hours and I would still want more."  
  
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely she couldn't mean what it sounded like she meant. He decided he didn't care if she meant it or not, he wasn't going to waste the first chance he'd gotten in a long while to touch as much skin as he wanted.  
  
He pulled her into him kissing her again while running his hands up her back finally pressing his hands firmly into her skin almost groaning at the little noises she was making. His control was stretching thin. The sounds of her obvious enjoyment were clouding his mind making it hard for him to focus on anything but having her under him. He suddenly wanted to feel her hands on him badly.  
  
He broke the kiss long enough to tell her, "Touch me, anyway you want," before kissing her again more roughly than before. She was thrilled at his request, she'd been waiting for a sign he was comfortable with moving forward. Running her hands along his sides and around to his back she lightly dragged her nails over his skin feeling him jerk against her at the slight pain. Suddenly she found herself on the bed again with the feel of him covering her. She let out a low moan and pressed up against him wrapping her arms around his waist before sliding her hands up to grab his shoulders.  
  
He wasn't sure when they'd gotten back on the bed, his last clear thought had been how good her hands had felt on him. He didn't waste the position he was in though, reaching down to grasp one thigh he gently pressed her leg outward giving him enough room to settle his hips in between hers. She gasped at the feel of him pressed so tightly against her. This was the closest she'd ever been to anyone and she was feeling a little overwhelmed.  
  
"Are you alright? Do you want me to slow down?" He knew she'd asked for fast but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She looked at him knowing he would stop in an instant if she asked and that certainty let her feel safe enough to shake her head no before smiling at him. "I like you right where you are."  
  
She could feel his arousal through the shorts he was wearing and the desire to feel that arousal without the barrier was taking over her thoughts. She slid her hands over his back to the waist of his shorts before taking a deep breath and pushing her hands underneath them. His body went still above her and she decided to go for broke and pushed the shorts down his legs as far as she could reach taking his boxers with them. He kicked them the rest of the way off keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time.  
  
The feel of him was better than she could have ever imagined. She wasn't sure she was ever going to be satisfied with sleeping alone again. He had braced his upper body on his forearms to keep most of his weight off of her. The feel of her against him had stretched his control to the breaking point. Her boldly taking off the rest of his clothes had been the last straw. He knew he was going fast but she seemed to be in just as much a rush as he. She watched him reach over to the nightstand and guessed what he was after, "It's alright, I'm on the pill. I started when I was with... well it was just in case."  
  
He took a deep breath, "Just so you know, um, I'm , uh, clean. I got tested after I found out Nic... well I just got tested." Neither of them wanted to bring up past relationships. She nodded at him and, since she was feeling a little nervous, decided that pauses weren't helping her. She brought his head down to kiss him again using her hands as a grip on his hair. She'd wanted to touch his hair so many times she'd lost count years ago. It probably had something to do with the hat being some sort of tease.  
  
He pulled back and bent his head down towards her breasts. He pressed his nose gently against the valley between them letting her get used to the sensation of touch there. She arched her back; the soft scratching of his whiskers caused shivers that made her twist against him. Taking her movement as a sign he pressed light kisses on the curves of both breasts before gently sucking the peak of one into his mouth. She grasped the back of his head holding him in place. She could feel flickers of lust spreading from her chest, building her desire for him until she was panting against him on the verge of begging him for something more. A hollow feeling had been building in her center and the feel of his mouth and tongue were making it almost unbearable.  
  
She reached down and grabbed his hips. Pulling him against her she jerked a little at the feel of him pressed so tightly to her. He groaned at the feel of how hot and wet she was and without thinking reached down and pressed the fingers of one hand into her. She moaned loudly feeling that hollow ache both appeased and yet more desperate. He moved his fingers gently, concentrating on the center of nerves at the top until he felt her body gather tightly against him. He could tell she was close and wanted her to be distracted by her desire to cover the small pain when he first took her.  
  
He centered his hips between hers and slid partly into her feeling the resistance and trying not to just thrust in when he felt how hot and tight she was. He leaned down and kissed her again, muffling her small sound when he slid past her barrier. Another thrust and he was fully inside of her and breathing harshly as if he'd just run the Boston Marathon.  
  
She couldn't believe he was in her. The hollow feeling had been satisfied somewhat by the feel of him coming into her. She felt a rush of both power and gentleness when she realized he was trembling a little from trying not to move until she gave him some sort of sign. She experimentally moved her hips gratified to hear his choked moan.  
  
He let out a sigh of relief at the feel of her moving against him. He withdrew a little before gently thrusting back into her. He wasn't sure she was the one he should have been worried about all this time. Any moment now the sensation of sliding in and out of her was going to send him into shock. At least he had one thing on his side. His age had finally given him something useful and he could keep control over himself a little longer than he used to. He looked down at her for the first time since he had come into her and nearly lost that control. She had arched her back, her eyes were tightly closed and she looked like she had just found her own personal religion. The sight and feel of her were almost too much for him and he felt himself moving faster against her. Her mouth had parted and he couldn't resist kissing her, sliding his tongue in deeply, feeling hers tangle with his.  
  
She was sure she was never going to think clearly again. No book or song or person was ever going to be enough to hold her attention again. She could feel her body tensing, wanting something, becoming tighter and tighter and knew he could feel it too when his groans turned into short moans. The sounds he was making had just become the sexiest thing she'd ever heard and served to make her wrap her legs around his waist and grip him tightly. He was losing control quickly and reached down with his hand and used his fingers to encourage her to completion. She started to gasp when the hollow ache seemed to suddenly implode and she arched and held him even tighter. At the feel of her coming around him he thrust in as deeply as he could feeling himself start to come inside her. She moaned again at the feeling of warmth in her and held him to her while his body shuddered against her.  
  
They both lay with their eyes closed until their breathing had evened out some. She looked at his face noticing how peaceful he suddenly looked. She smiled a little smugly to herself. 'I did that. I made him happy. If I can make Luke Danes feel happy then there isn't anything I can't do.' Happy herself with her thoughts and the shivers still going through her she settled back into the bed. She just wanted to bask for a little while.  
  
He was still feeling a few aftershocks himself but knew he must be too heavy for her slight frame and started to slide over to her side. She held him still by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and winding her calves around his. "Where are you going?"  
  
"I don't want to crush you." He looked into her eyes and felt a warmth in him that had been missing a long time. She looked happy. Like she was content with everything in the world and it was all because of him.  
  
"Stay right where you are. This may be the most comfortable I've ever been and I 'm not giving it up without a struggle."  
  
He smiled down at her. She'd surprised him again; all of those aspects of him the other women in his life had criticized him for had turned out to be her favorites. Maybe it was them that had a problem and not him. Maybe it was time he found someone who didn't want to change him.  
  
She relaxed when she felt him settle back against her. She felt safe and satisfied in a way she knew she probably wouldn't find with anyone else anytime soon. He had given her the freedom to be herself without making her feel self-conscious. Maybe it was her who needed to be more accepting of her personality. Maybe it was time she used that backbone he'd let her realize she had.  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Chapter Six Coming Soon 


	6. Aftermath

A/N: Well, all good things must come to an end. This chapter is a little shorter than the others but I think it sums things up quite nicely. Due to schedule and VCR conflicts I've yet to see any of the new shows that have just started airing so I'm hoping I'm not flying in the face of canon just yet.  
  
I appreciate each and every review, the good and the bad. I really want everyone's opinion on the story as a whole, please.  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Out of Nowhere  
  
Chapter 6 – Aftermath  
  
Lane opened her eyes surprised to see it was just turning light outside. She realized Luke would already be down in the diner. She wondered how they would react to each other now that it was morning and time to move on. Rolling onto her back her arm reached out and touched another arm. Startling her for a moment, she turned her head to see Luke watching her intently.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Sleep okay?"  
  
"Yeah, you?"  
  
Luke suddenly smiled at her, "I don't think I've ever slept that well."  
  
Lane laughed relieved the tension that had been growing had been broken. "I wasn't expecting you to still be here. I thought you were opening the diner?"  
  
"I started to get up but decided that I'd much rather stay here. So I called Caesar and had him come in for me." Luke could tell by the look in her eyes Lane was relieved he was still here. He'd been unwilling to leave here to wake up alone. Last night was something he didn't think he would ever be able to forget and he didn't want her thinking he regretted it in the slightest.  
  
He had spent the last couple of hours watching her sleep trying to remember the last time he had felt so at peace with himself. A peace that surprised him for more reasons than one. He had expected to wake up horrified by what he'd done, full of remorse for having taking advantage of a young woman who hadn't known exactly what she was offering. But none of that had happened. There was no remorse or regret. Lane had given him complete acceptance, a rare thing for him to receive. He could honestly say that no other woman he had been with had been so willing to accept him as he was. Lane had relied on him to show her everything, she hadn't been comparing him to others, as he knew Rachel had done and she didn't want him to act differently like Nicole had. He could only hope her reaction would be as good as his, he wasn't sure what he would do if she suddenly decided it had all been a horrible mistake.  
  
Lane was watching Luke watch her. She was glad he had stayed, all of the comfort and passion of the night before would probably have been overshadowed by nerves and tension if he had gone downstairs. At least this way she could see by the smile on his face that he wasn't suffering any regrets. Thank goodness, she didn't know what she would have done if he had decided it had all been a horrible mistake.  
  
"So. Now what?" Lane couldn't help but ask. Last night had been incredible but they had both gone into it knowing it would be a one-time thing.  
  
"I don't know. I don't think I've ever been in this position before." Luke was unsure what to do now that they both knew the other wasn't having any regrets. "Are you sure you're okay with everything?"  
  
"Absolutely okay." She kissed him lightly and decided she should leave on a high note. Lane smiled at Luke then slipped out of the bed reaching for her clothes that were piled on the floor. "I'm going to take a shower and then get home. The guys will hopefully be out to work when I get there."  
  
Luke watched Lane walk into the bathroom a little surprised by her ease with walking around naked in front of him. He got up and went to the kitchen. He looked out the window thinking about all of the things they had discussed the night before. It was morning now, usually things that seemed like a great idea at 2:00 am showed their flaws in the morning but he had to admit everything she had told him still rang true. He did deserve better than what he allowed himself to have. Avoidance wasn't going to solve any of his problems. She had shown him that he had more to offer than he had thought. Maybe it was time he made choices for himself instead of letting others decide for him.  
  
Lane came out of the bathroom still feeling a little proud that she had managed to walk all the way in there without a stitch on without blushing a bright red. She came up behind Luke and slipped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder.  
  
"I hope you're standing here making plans and not thinking about your inventory or something?" She teased him gently. She wanted him to be happy; he deserved it more so than anyone else she knew. It was time he did something about it. She herself knew she was different today than she had been before. All the things he had said had finally made her realize that she could be herself and her mother's daughter without feeling split in two. Acceptance of others begins with acceptance of yourself. Okay, that's enough Zen for one morning, she thought, that was a little too deep for this time of day.  
  
Luke laughed at her comment. "No inventory I swear." He turned to face her. "How about you?"  
  
"I've got a plan in mind. Not a real complex one but I have faith in it." She smiled at him then reached up and kissed him. "That's the last one of those I'll probably get, huh? Please let me in on what happens?"  
  
"I'm sure you'll pry it out of me somehow. Same goes for you." Luke took her hand in his and followed her to the door. "I'll check in with you later. See how you made out." He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled back at him and turned to go downstairs aiming to slip out the back. He watched her go and knew that someday she was going to be a very bright light in some guy's life. And he had better treat her right or he was going to face Luke's wrath.  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Lane slowly walked up the familiar path and stopped in front of the door. The scent of wood polish washed over her and an ache formed in her chest. She knocked and waited for the door to open.  
  
"Hi Mama, I want to talk to you about some things and I'm not going anywhere until we come to an understanding."  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
Luke slowly walked up the familiar path and stopped in front of the door. The sound of an eighties rock band drifted out to him and ache formed in his chest. He knocked and waited for the door to open.  
  
"Hi Lorelai, I want to talk to you about some things and I'm not going anywhere until we come to an understanding."  
  
♠♠♠♠♠  
  
The End 


End file.
